From Sletch's talk of result caps, it strikes me that he has things the wrong way around: As demonstrated by the current Research check rules -- of which Analyse Media is reallu just an extension -- the DC to get anything useful from a photo or recording would actually be higher the lower the quality of the media used.

I was thinking purely in SC2.0 result cap terms.

In FC terms I'd treat it more like a Canvas check then a Research check. It might seem a little unintuitive, but consider this:(Not state of the art) Cell Phone Camera (DC20 result cap) - limited to "Fruitful" clues.(State of the art) Professional Grade Camera (DC46+ / uncapped) - no limit on clues.

The chart would probably change, but I think the Research check rules really don't work for media analysis, since they're based on quantity of resources, and here the opposite would be the case - it'd be easier to get clues about a target individual or location from 100 photos (or hours of video surveillance) then a single photo.

Surely planting explosives is covered by the Explosives proficiency? Hiding them would then be a stash item check?

I was thinking more of precision explosives use, the skill involved in neatly imploding a building, knocking down a bridge with the smallest charge possibe (gotta stretch those resources sometimes), or using a wad of plastique to move something that needs to remain intact through the experience.

Or in other words, situations where the explosive might fail to do what was intended.

I'd agree explosive attacks, like slapping a mine on a random piece of earth, is proficiency plus possibly stash item.

Doesn't that fall under the basic assumption "attack checks are about doing your best to kill/injure/etc your target"? If you want to make it hard, you just up the DC, which is where a study or trick would then be used?

No, that way lies madness. Interests just give you a bonus, they don't have anything to do with your basic ability to use a weapon to the fullest of its ability.

Weapon Proficiency : Tactical.

That's the "basic ability to use a weapon to the fullest of it's ability".

The study (Structural / Mechanical Engineering) gives you a bonus.

Essentially you're saying "No" to something that is identical to what you are saying. The only change is the Proficiency - because Explosives is far too narrow and dilutes a characters proficiencies and abilities (as well as reducing trick access or restricting them to too narrow a weapon array).

Planting explosivesSabotage (disable, but make it dangerous to the next guy)Negotiating a settlement (Spycraft 2 has it, Fantasycraft does not)

Been a little bit. Awesome thread. Brought this up to the group as they were rolling new FantasyCraft chars. (..based on Madagascar 3 and 90's-2000's pop icons. ..shoot me now...)

The first comment was "Oh god. More skills?!" And then we all laughed. Not to say we don't love the Crafty design, we do, but my players feel like there's a good diversity in the numbers now without having too many? I dunno. I'm just a GCing Koala.

First thing that came up was actually something that was already mentioned. Sense Motive, when compared to the other various SC2 skills, has a very smalls cope. How abouts something akin to rename / repurpose Sense Motive & Manipulate into something like "Psychology" and give it a few more uses.

Someone mentioned Forensics. We debated this one abit. How 'fun' would it be to play someone who's focused into a Forensics Scientist? The rest of the group is running around blasting holes in baddies and the forensics guy is taking 8 hours to process a scene? Or.. goes back to the lab to run the DNA test. Also, alot of the current skills can handle aspects of Forensic Science. Computers / Digital Forensics. Medicine / Toxicology & DNA Profiling. Science / Ballistics. I forget the exact use of Investigation (been a little bit since SC2 hit our table) but I think that can process a crime scene. Either that or Search / Notice.

We came to the opinion that SC2 / FC doesn't need more skills, just perhaps more 'things to do with the existing skills'? If that makes sense. Just our 2 cents! ..now back to trying to convince a player that a rainbow Afro is just.. wrong.

We came to the opinion that SC2 / FC doesn't need more skills, just perhaps more 'things to do with the existing skills'? If that makes sense. Just our 2 cents! ..now back to trying to convince a player that a rainbow Afro is just.. wrong.

Exactly. In the case of my Forensics suggestion it'd be Investigate (Analyse Media) or Investigate (Forensics). Because every spy thing ever has someone getting clues from photographic / satellite surveillance (and getting clues is the cornerstone of Investigate checks). It can also cover Sherlock's ability to pick up little clues from scenes - it doesn't have to be exclusively 8 hours of processing crime scenes.

Actually if you check out my mission Tundra that I wrote for Living Spycraft, I had a Forensics situation in there that was a Complex Analysis task and required a Forensics kit to accomplish.

As for Analysis/Examine Media, the cap is hard cap on the DC because the picture can only produce so much information no matter how could the analyzer is. You see it all the time. "Sorry, man, the picture is just too grainy so the face is unclear. Too bad we only managed to get that one photo."

..now back to trying to convince a player that a rainbow Afro is just.. wrong.

Depends. Is this set in the same universe as Black Dynamite? If so, then all that character needs is a strong moniker and you're golden. I suggest Skittles (which is also what I tend to blurt out when everyone gets that flop in Texas Hold 'Em - I'm broken that way).

Reminds me of the guy I used to run LSpy for who made a Charisma Martial Artist based on Eddie Griffin's Undercover Brother right down to the parachute pants, dolemite cane with flashbang grenades, feather in his hat for an Impress check boost, clock on a chain around his neck for some extra lethal DR boost, and cross also hanging from his neck for some Stress DR.